ONWEGO Inflatable Backpacking Pillow

Pillows are such a commonplace item in your life when you’re home that you probably don’t give them much thought. In the backpacking world however, the pillow you choose to use can make a huge difference in the quality of sleep you receive, sometimes just as much as your sleeping bag.

You obviously can’t bring along your favorite pillow from home when you’re out in the wild, but you certainly have a few options for a place to rest your head at night. One of the more common backpacking tricks of the trade is to fill a stuff sack with soft items such as clothing. This is pretty resourceful, but the results aren’t always all that comfortable. Some don’t mind though.

Small compactible backpacking pillows are also frequently used, but they can also be mediocre when it comes to comfort. Again, they do work for some, but are generally lacking.

Inflatable pillows are a bit tricky. They can sometimes resemble something you’d use in a swimming pool, with about the same level of comfort. The ONWEGO Ultralight Inflatable Backpacking Pillow is quite the opposite, giving you an impressive amount of comfort, along with a backpacking-friendly design.

Features & Benefits

The ONWEGO Ultralight Inflatable Backpacking Pillow is basically everything you could want on your backpacking trip, or really just about any trip for that matter.

Ultralight

This thing is about as light as you can get, weighing in at a feather-like 4 ounces. There’s no excuse not to include this in your backpack.

Compacts to a Very Small Size

Worried about the pillow’s size? Don’t be -- it compacts down to just 4 x 4 x 3 inches, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Again, you won’t even know you have it on you.

Removable Cover

If you’ve been annoyed in the past with backpacking pillows that have a built-in cover, the The ONWEGO Ultralight Inflatable Backpacking Pillow has got you covered. The cover easily comes off when you need to wash it, or when you can’t wash it, but need it off your pillow for the duration of your trip.

Potential Disadvantages

Underside Feels Slick

If you enjoy flipping your pillow over to get to the cooler side in the middle of the night, be prepared for a slick experience. The material on the underside can get a little slippery for your head at times.

Unique Advantages

Soft-Top

The cover of the pillow features Soft-Top technology; a super-soft cotton fabric with polyester batting that not only makes the pillow soft and comfortable, it also allows your head to breathe and avoid that annoying sweat you can get with lower-quality pillows.

Fast Inflation

Setting up your ﻿﻿gear for the night when you make camp can be a little off-putting when you are tired and in a hurry to catch some sleep. Fortunately, this pillow inflates in literally about 4-5 full breaths. You go from a small ball of fabric to a full pillow in about 10 seconds. BE sure to leave the cover on before inflating to make things a bit easier.

Our Rating

Conclusion

Few products give you the comfort and durability that the ONWEGO Ultralight Inflatable Backpacking Pillow gives you in a matter of seconds. Your sleep quality will likely improve instantly, and your backpack can always accommodate it. If you’re not dead set on your current pillow, give this one a try.